Taxi Driver – Soundtrack (Bernard Herrmann)

Waxwork Records just released a 40th anniversary Taxi Driver 2XLP soundtrack of the final score by Legendary composer Bernard Herrmann to Martin Scorsese’s film.

And what a way it was, at the time, for Herrmann to put the final touch to such an illustrious career (scoring along the way such classic scores including Citizen Kane, Psycho, Vertigo and Cape Fear, etc). The composer passed away during the evening following his last recording session of December 23rd 1975. It put an end to a short Hollywood comeback in the mid 70’s scoring for young new talents including Scorsese and Brian De Palma.

At the time of the film’s initial release, in 1976, a single LP was issued containing mainly album versions arranged by Dave Blum. It lacked Herrmann’s dark and epic touch. Only 20 years later, In 1998, a CD release containing the original LP sequence AND the score, as it was intended by the composer for the picture, was released.

The new 2XLP brings, for the first time on vinyl, the complete score plus the remastered original 1976 album with new liner notes by Scorsese.

For those used to the current 1976 version there is major differences. In fact it is two completely different soundtracks. The opening, sax oriented theme, is of course still there but the orchestration, playing, recording and mixing offer (with the original scoring material) all the iconic brass and percussive signature of the late Herrmann in his own menacing glory…